Player-piano casing.



F. c. BILLINGS PLAYER PIANO CASING.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 13, 1914.

1,129,443. Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

THE NORRIS PETERS 60.. PHOTOL'ITHO,. WAsHlNGmN. D c

FREDERICK G. BILLING-S, OF MILW'AUKEE, WISG()N'SIN.

PLAYER-PIANO CASING.

Application filed June 13, 1914.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FREDERICK U. BILLIxcs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, county of Milwaukee, and State of lVisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Player-Piano Casings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in player piano casings.

The object of my invention is to provide the piano casing with means for storing and concealing the music rolls therein without disfiguring the casing or interrupting the integral continuity of the end walls, while providing for free and convenient access to the boxes and to the interior of that portion of the casing which contains the instrument.

In the drawings-Figure 1 is a front elevation of a player piano casing embodying my invention, the upper portion of the easing being partially broken away in vertical section. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same with the upper or music roll containing portion shown in vertical section.

Like parts are identified by the same reference characters throughout both views.

The end walls A and back Wall E of my improved casing are extended to a greater height than is required for the instrument and a top lid C is hinged to the back wall at D, D. A shelf E is suspended from the under surface of this lid C by end and back members F and G respectively. These members may comprise inner walls or they may consist merely of suitable box retaining hangers to hold the music roll boxes H in position.

The lid C is formed in sections, the division line extending longitudinally and these sections are connected by hinges I, which permit the front section C to fold back upon the rear section as shown in Fig. 2. The front section C is provided with a wing J, which extends downwardly and is adapted to rest upon the front wall when the lid section C is closed. When this section is swung upon the rear section C to open position, the cavity between the lid and the shelf E will be exposed for the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

Serial No. 844,847.

insertion or removal of music roll boxes H. But when access tothe interior of the casing below the shelf is desired, the entire lid may be raised, and swung upon its hinges D, D, carrying the shelf E with it. The shelf E is secured only to the rear section G and does not interfere with the independent movements of the lid section C.

It will be observed that the shelf and its hanger supports, form an interior box or inclosure on the under side of the top lid of the player piano casing, adapted to receive support and conceal the music rolls and their containers. This box is of such dimensions that the container boxes H will snugly fit and substantially fill the cavity above the shelf, whereby the boxes H cooperate with each other in maintaining an orderly position.

The wing J, when in normal position, forms a movable or separable extension of the front wall, but the joint or line of separation will not be observable for the reason that the panel K, forming the upper portion of said front wall, will ordinarily be slightly inset or formed of characteristically different material or finish.

I claim- 1. A player piano casing, having integral extensions of its end walls, in combination with a lid sub-divided longitudinally into a plurality of sections hinged together and including a front section provided with a front wall member extending downwardly a distance equal to the upward extension of the end walls, and a music roll support secured to the rear lid section and adapted to move between the end walls when the rear lid section is swung to closed position, the front lid section with its downward extension being adapted to conceal said music roll support when the section is in closed position, substantially as described.

2. A player piano casing having integral extensions of its end and back walls, a lid section hinged to said back wall, a shelf suspended from said lid section and adapted to move into and out of the space between the extended portions of the end walls and in front of the back wall, and a folding lid section hinged to the front margin of said In testimony whereof I aifix my signature first mentioned lid section and provided in the presence of two witnesses.

with a depending wing, adapted, in normal FREDERICK C. BILLINGS. position, to form a movable extension of WVitnesses:

5 the front wall of the casing concealing said LEVERETT C. WHEELER,

shelf, substantially as described. IRMA D. BREMER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five centsreaeh, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. G. 

